


And Kanan Makes Four

by AndiinaRaethTash



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: A New Dawn - John Jackson Miller, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, F/M, Family Feels, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Mother-Son Relationship, Post-Star Wars: A New Dawn, Then Chopper's the family pet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:46:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26344348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndiinaRaethTash/pseuds/AndiinaRaethTash
Summary: Immediately after the events on Gorse, Kanan joins Hera as a part of her crew. He wasn't expecting her crew to be more like a family, and he really wasn't expecting to become a part of that family.
Relationships: C1-10P | Chopper & Hera Syndulla, Ezra Bridger & Hera Syndulla, Ezra Bridger & Kanan Jarrus, Kanan Jarrus/Hera Syndulla
Comments: 25
Kudos: 116
Collections: Feelstember 2020





	1. The Boy

**Author's Note:**

> A little fic I whipped up for Feelstember. I'll put the prompts used at the beginning of each chapter, and try to update at least once a week. Might not finish in September, but that's when I started, so that's got to count for something, right?  
> The prompts used were 'flicker,' 'familial love,' and 'homesickness.'

The first thing Hera showed him was what would become his room. Hers was right across from it, and while she didn’t say as much, he understood the mysterious second crewmember she’d hinted at before showing him the Ghost had the bunk next to hers. After he’d set his satchel down, she’d given him a full tour, and Kanan had to say, the ship was just as impressive on the inside as it was on the outside.

They ended up in the common room, which Hera explained would hopefully be the place they spent most of their time outside of missions. “If we’re going to be a crew, I’d rather us be a crew and not just a bunch of people living on the same ship.” Kanan nodded. He understood that, even if he didn’t think he’d end up sharing a whole lot about himself. “Any questions?” Hera asked, and Kanan raised an eyebrow.

“Well, I’d love to meet this other crewmember of yours, especially seeing as they weren’t with you on Gorse,” he said, curious. All the times she’d hinted at not being the only person to call the ship home, and yet she’d not so much as told him outright that there was another crewmember.

Hera pursed her lips. “I have a droid, Chopper, who helps me keep the ship running. Right now, he’s with my other crewmember. They’re on their way now.”

It was clear that was all she was going to say on the matter, which was mildly frustrating because now his curiosity was really piqued. Sitting down on the crash couch, he watched as Hera began pacing. It was obvious she was waiting, which meant the missing crew member was already on their way.

A minute or so of awkward silence later, the sound of an approaching shuttle drew Kanan’s attention to the hatch in the ceiling of the common room. Kanan stood, wary, as Hera hurried over to the base of the ladder. There was the sound of a shuttle parking on top of the Ghost and the engines cut out, then after another minute, the airlock hissed open.

An orange astromech flew down from the docked shuttle, beeping something in binary that didn’t sound very flattering to Kanan, but it was so fast he had difficulty telling exactly what it said. He assumed, though, that this was Chopper.

Hera shot the droid a scowl as it came to rest beside her. “You’ll do what I tell you to do, and you and I both know that this is one of your favorite jobs.”

The droid shot back something that Kanan loosely interpreted as, I prefer blowing stuff up, and Hera rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Just… introduce yourself, and go check on the Ghost’s engines, I think I heard something coming loose on the way here.”

Chopper finally seemed to notice he was here and immediately put himself between Kanan and Hera, extending a shock prod and wailing a threat. Kanan threw his hands up in surrender as Hera exclaimed, “Chopper!”

“Easy, there, buddy,” Kanan said when Chopper still didn’t stand down, “I’m on your side, Hera invited me here!”

Chopper swiveled his head around to look at Hera, who nodded. Almost begrudgingly, the droid retracted his shock prod and wheeled out of the room, grumbling the whole time.

Hera turned back to the hatch and frowned as she started climbing up the ladder. Kanan couldn’t see into the shuttle, but he could hear Hera speaking in a soft voice, too soft for him to be able to tell what she was saying.

After a long moment, Hera climbed back down the ladder, but this time, she was holding… a child. An actual, literal, human child, one who couldn’t have been older than eight or nine. Kanan found himself staring into wide blue eyes that were looking at him with no small amount of nervous curiosity.

Realizing his mouth was hanging open, Kanan shut it and raised an eyebrow. “I take it he’s not yours?” He said before realizing that talking about the kid like he wasn’t in the room probably wasn’t the best place to start.

Hera huffed in exasperation, but otherwise ignored him. “Ezra, this is Kanan Jarrus. He helped me on Gorse.” Looking back at Kanan, she added, “Kanan, this is Ezra Bridger.”

Kanan tried for a gentle smile and knelt as Hera set the boy down. “Hey, Ezra.” He wasn’t sure what else to say, but the kid was still staring at him, and Kanan could practically taste the fear rolling off of him. Extending a hand, he carefully reached out with the Force, trying to ease the kid’s nervousness, only to start slightly when he felt a flicker of connection. There was something about this kid… he pushed the possibility out of his head and decided it was just his mind playing tricks on him.

The kid clung to Hera’s leg for a minute or so before a cautious smile appeared on his face and he waved. “Hi,” he said shyly, and Hera’s smile broadened.

She sank down to her knees next to Ezra, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Are you hungry, Ezra? It’s around suppertime.”

Immediately the shyness fell away and the kid nodded eagerly. Kanan had to suppress a laugh at the look on Ezra’s face, which was… well, quite frankly, the kid was kriffin’ adorable, and the bright-eyed expression of anticipation was just too cute.

Hera stood, offering her hand for Ezra to grab, and they started toward the kitchen. Kanan hung back, watching. His perspective of Hera had shifted radically in the last few minutes, and not just because of the kid. It was the shift in attitude that really changed things. Before, he’d seen her as a free-spirited young woman, who thought the whole galaxy was her responsibility.

Now… well, that was still true, but he also was seeing a different side to her. With the age difference between her and the kid, he wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d fallen into the role of older sister, but instead she seemed almost motherly. That gentle, nurturing side made something click for him, though, because suddenly instead of a radicalist, rebelling just to rebel, she was someone who had something very personal to fight for. He almost even believed she could overthrow the Empire now.

Ezra’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “Are you coming to eat, Mister Jarrus?” He asked with a slight lisp.

Kanan’s heart melted just the slightest bit. “I think it’d be best if you and Hera got some time alone, kiddo. But I’ll be back out in a few minutes.”

The kid’s bottom lip started to stick out the slightest bit, and Hera rubbed his shoulder. “He’ll be here when you’ve eaten, dear, he’s just not hungry right now.”

Kanan actually was hungry, but he knew it had to have been at least a couple weeks since Hera had seen Ezra, and he wasn’t about to intrude on their time together. Given the grateful look Hera shot him, he’d guess Hera knew that and appreciated it. He gave her a small nod in return and backed out into the hallway, immediately running into the droid, who bleeped at him. He got the feeling that if it could have narrowed its optical sensor, it would have. As it was, the droid just gestured with its manipulator that he was watching Kanan.

Kanan snorted. “Yeah, I got it. hurt either of them and I won’t live to tell the tale.”

Chopper beeped at him again as if knowing he was only taking the threat minorly seriously before disappearing into the cockpit. Shaking his head, Kanan entered his room and sat down heavily on the bed.

So. Hera had a kid. That certainly changed things. This wasn’t going to be a casual, let’s run around the galaxy kicking Imperial ass kind of team-up. This was going to be much more than that. He was going to have to protect a kid, which, okay, he would have done anyway, but if his gut feeling was right, then this could be a whole lot more complicated than that.

His immediate instinct was to run away from anything even remotely reminding him of that time in his life, but after Gorse… well, he was tired of running alone. Better to run with Hera. Besides, if he was right, the kid would be in more danger if he was left untrained and unprotected… not that Kanan intended to teach him, just kind of coach him until he could hide it. Yeah, that would work. He might not even have to tell Hera. Force only knows how she would react to knowing her adoptive son was Force-sensitive.

He’d only seen them together for a short time, but he got the feeling that Hera would be more dangerous than a rampaging gundark if her kid was threatened, and remembering the kid’s innocent face and adorable lisp, Kanan wasn’t sure he would be any different.

With a heavy sigh, he decided he’d have to stay. It’d be safer that way. And maybe he was getting attached way too quickly, maybe that wasn’t healthy, but he knew in his gut, in the same part of his mind that the flicker of light that was Ezra’s presence was, that staying was the right—the only—choice.

So with another sigh, he stood and tucked his satchel into one of the drawers under the bed before heading back to the common room.

Hera and Ezra were on the crash couch when the door slid open, and Kanan paused in the doorway. The scene in front of him was one he wasn’t sure he should intrude on.

Ezra was curled up next to Hera, resting his head on her lap. “I missed you,” he whispered softly, and Kanan leaned against the door frame as Hera ran a hand through Ezra’s hair.

“I missed you, too, sweetheart,” Hera murmured, and Ezra sniffled, burying his face in her shirt.

Kanan wanted to leave and let the two have their moment, but something kept his feet glued in place. The sense of peace the scene was giving off was soothing almost, and it made him miss the Temple, the only place he’d known something like that. He wished he could have what Ezra had, a steady home to return to, but he didn’t. He couldn’t, it was too dangerous.

That didn’t stop him from being homesick. He just didn’t know where home was, or if he’d ever have one again.

Hera looked up just then and smiled at him, waving him over. Carefully Kanan lowered himself to sit on the couch next to her, but he left some room between them so he wasn’t invading her space. Ezzra looked up, a bit of snot on his nose and tear tracks on his face, then clambered over Hera to settle between the two of them.

He still had his head on Hera’s lap, but now his feet were on Kanan’s lap, and Kanan couldn’t help it. He lightly ran a finger along the underside of his foot, and Ezra squealed a surprised laugh. Grinning, Kanan did it again, and it quickly devolved into a full-on tickle war. Ezra’s adorable little giggle rang shrilly in Kanan’s ear as he attacked Ezra’s sides, and Hera laughed, joining in by prodding the side of Kanan’s neck.

“Hey!” He exclaimed, and just like that, Ezra was attacking him. Kanan fell over onto his back trying to get away from the two of them, but Ezra just climbed onto his stomach and continued. “Okay, okay!” He managed around the laughter, “I surrender! Mercy, please!”

Ezra giggled again and let off, and Kanan took the opportunity to pick the kid up off his stomach and lay him down again. This time, though, when Ezra readjusted himself, he had his feet tucked under Hera’s legs and his head on Kanan’s lap.

“Are you gonna stay with us, Mister Jarrus?” The kid asked softly after a minute, and Kanan looked down at him, considering.

Yeah, the kid was a lot, but there was something about him, either his connection to the Force or just his Force-damned adorableness that was already making Kanan attached to him. Plus, there was Hera, with her beautiful voice and even more alluring personality, all fire and warmth and passion, and somehow, he couldn’t imagine leaving.

Glancing over at Hera, who smiled at him encouragingly, he nodded. “Yeah, kiddo, I’m gonna stay. At least for a little bit.”


	2. The Holocron

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Monday, have some fluff.  
> This fills the prompts 'ancient,' 'truth,' 'opening up,' 'haunt,' and 'firsts.'

Kanan settled into the routines on board the _Ghost_ with a surprising ease. Hera told him that before, whenever Chopper was busy she was with Ezra, and whenever she was busy, including on missions such as the one on Gorse that had led to the two of them meeting, Chopper would watch him. Now, with an extra crew member, Hera and Chopper could both be fixing the engines or making repairs to one of the ship’s other systems while Kanan watched Ezra.

Watching usually just meant making sure he was doing his educational sims and helping when needed, but it felt good to be useful. In addition to helping teach, after Ezra found out he’d been traveling around the galaxy for the last eight years, he’d been forced to tell Ezra every kid-appropriate story he had, which meant they were usually from that awkward time period where he had stopped being Caleb Dume, but hadn’t quite settled into the self-serving drunk that was Kanan Jarrus.

“Where were you born?” Ezra asked shyly a couple months after he’d come on board.

Kanan sucked in a breath, debating how to answer the question. “I actually don’t know. I was raised on Coruscant, though, so that’s where I called home for the longest time.”

“What was it like there?”

Kanan debated for a moment how to answer, finally settling on, “Peaceful, at first. During the war… less so. There was always something happening, not that I ever left the… school I went to.”

Ezra nodded like he understood, looking down at the datapad he was supposed to be reading. “I don’t go to school.”

“I know, kiddo,” Kanan said.  Hera had told him that even when he had lived with his parents, he’d been home-schooled. His parents hadn’t trusted the schools not to feed their son Imperial propaganda.

“What was it like in school?” Ezra asked, turning big, innocent eyes up at Kanan, and he sighed. He wanted to lock those memories in a box and leave them behind forever, but at the same time, he didn’t want that part of history to just die without so much as a whisper left. If there was something he could do to preserve what Master Billaba had died for, he would do it.

Sighing, he stood from the crash couch he and Ezra had been sitting on and extended a hand. “C’mon, I can show you.”

Standing, he led Ezra into his bunk. Sitting down on the bed, he pulled out his satchel, which still held two items: his lightsaber and the object he was after now. Handing it to Ezra, who stared at it in confused awe, he explained, “It’s a holocron. That one is probably hundreds of years old, but some were probably older. It’s been handed down, from one generation to the next, to remind us where we’ve come from and to guide us to where we’re going?”

Ezra looked down at the cube in his hand and asked innocently, “How does a box teach?”

Kanan laughed. “It’s not the box itself, but what’s in the box.”

“The singing?” Ezra asked, and Kanan nodded. Different people perceived the Force in different ways, after all, so while the holocron was a beacon of light to him, he wasn’t surprised that Ezra heard singing.

Gently taking the holocron from Ezra, he took a deep breath and focused. It was hard, because this was something that he had sworn never to do, because it made his every instinct scream danger, and because the holocron would forever serve as a reminder of the night Master Billaba died. Btu somehow he pushed through and the holocron lifted off his hand, coming to hover in the air in front of him.

The hologram that appeared was one Kanan expected, and its message doubly so. Ezra, however, remained entranced, his wide blue eyes fixed on Master Kenobi. Once the message finished playing, the boy tore his eyes off the holocron to stare at Kanan.

“So… you’re a Jedi?”

Reluctantly, Kanan nodded. This was something he still wasn’t sure he wanted to tell Ezra, but he knew the kid needed to know.

As soon as he nodded, though, Ezra lit up even more. “That’s so cool! Hera said the Jedi saved her life during the war. Have you ever saved anybody? Can you use the Force? Could you lift me with it?”

Kanan couldn’t help it. He laughed. Ezra’s excitement was such a stark difference to the fear he usually saw when someone brought up the Jedi, and it was refreshing to be reminded that the Jedi were once considered heroes, not a taboo that brought punishment down hard on anyone who brought them up.

“One question at a time, kiddo.” Force, was this what Master Bilaba felt like when he was bombarding her with questions? “Yes, I have saved lives. I saved Hera’s back on Gorse. Yes, I can use the Force, and no, I’m not lifting you with it, not unless Hera says it’s okay.”

“Okay!” Ezra exclaimed, then darted out of the room, probably to go ask Hera if it was okay.

Kanan stood with a sigh, but it was a happy one. That kid… he was something else. He was definitely special, and that was without adding Force-sensitivity to the mix. Bright, caring, and just a tad too curious… Master Bilaba would have loved him.

With a start, he realized that thinking of his former Master didn’t cause the same pang of guilt and grief that it used to. It was the first time—no. Second time. He’d thought of her a few minutes ago while Ezra was asking all those questions. Still, to be rid of the guilt that had haunted him for eight years, even for a little bit, was both a relief and another source of guilt. Was eight years all it took to stop constantly missing his Master?

No, he corrected himself, he’d always miss her. It’s just that his heart wasn’t as painfully empty as it had been without her. Having Hera’s friendship—and maybe one day, more—and Ezra’s childish excitement to keep his life full of life meant he wasn’t alone anymore, and that meant the world to him.

So with a gentler smile, he followed Ezra to the bridge, where Hera had been adjusting something under the console. Ezra turned as soon as he stepped in and grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“She said we could do it!”

“If,” Hera put in, sounding slightly disapproving, “you do it in the cargo bay and set up some cushions to catch him if he falls.”

Ezra groaned and protested, “But Mom—” Immediately, he cut himself off and went completely red.

Underneath the console, Hera had frozen. Kanan didn’t need the Force to feel the shock radiating off of her, and he realized that this must have been the first time Ezra had ever called Hera Mom. After a second she unfroze, pushing herself out from under the console, and sat up.

Ezra looked like he was ready to run, embarrassment oozing out of his very being. Hera had clearly been filling the motherly role, so him calling her that wasn't surprising in and of itself, but Hera had told him that Ezra’s parents were still alive. Imprisoned at a currently unknown location, but alive.

Between that and the fact that he’d never called Hera that before, of course Ezra would be embarrassed and probably confused. Stepping back, Kanan carefully blocked the door, but made it clear he was just observing the conversation, not participating.

Slowly, like she was afraid she’d spook him, Hera took Ezra’s arms and guided him into the co-pilot’s seat, sinking into the pilot’s chair opposite him as she shifted her hands so she was holding his wrists rather than his upper arms. “Ezra, honey, it’s okay.”

“I didn’t mean to—I mean, I’ve got a mom—”

Hera cut him off gently. “And she would be happy that you know you’re loved here. I don’t mind if you call me Mom, or if you stick with Hera. That’s not going to change how much I care about you, and it’s not going to mean I’m in any way replacing your actual mom, okay? I don’t want to replace her.”

Ezra nodded, slightly tearfully. “I don’t wanna replace her either, but you—you act like a mom, and sometimes I forget that you’re not…”

“Hey,” Hera said softly, and once again, Kanan had to marvel at the difference between the eighteen-year-old fighter he’d met on Gorse and the mother he saw in front of him now. “Even if it’s just for a little bit, I’d love to be your mom.”


	3. The Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second chapter I'm posting today, just fyi.  
> This chapter fills the prompts 'sharing a meal,' 'teaching/learning a basic skill,' 'fun and games,' 'lost,' and 'childhood memories.'

It became a regular habit of theirs after a little bit for Ezra and Kanan to spend a couple hours a day just with the holocron. Ezra’s innate curiosity meant he absorbed information like a sponge, and Kanan was able to sneak a few lessons about the Force in between the endless searches into the different corners of the galaxy. It was during one of those such lessons that Kanan found out Ezra had never played Padawan Catch, or anything even remotely like it.

“Mom and Dad didn’t have time. They were always busy with their transmission stuff, and I didn’t really have any friends,” Ezra explained nonchalantly.

A part of Kanan thought that was slightly messed up, that a kid as sweet and caring and curious as Ezra should have had friends to pay with, but then, he’d only had a few friends that he’d played with in the Temple. He’d always annoyed everyone else with his incessant questions, so they avoided him in general outside of class. Idly, he wondered if Ezra was the same way, or if it was his homeschooling that meant he didn’t have any friends.

Shaking his head, Kanan said, “Well, you’ve got us, now, and I’m sure Hera wouldn’t mind being roped into a couple games.”

Hera did not mind being pulled into a couple of games, even volunteering to be the seeker for the first round. She knew every inch of the ship, and thus was able to find everyone very quickly, even Ezra who’d hidden in the vents. Since he’d had the better hiding spot (Kanan had been scrambling, so even he’d admit that behind the crash couch wasn’t the best spot), Ezra was named the seeker.

This time, Kanan climbed up into the  _ Phantom, _ crouching under the console, and waited. Less than a minute later, Ezra’s head popped up through the airlock, and he was quick to spot Kanan.

“Gotcha!” he called merrily, and Kanan shook his head, smiling.

“That was fast, kiddo,” he said.

Ezra just shrugged and started climbing down as Kanan went over to the airlock. “You’re loud, that makes you easy to find.”

Kanan stopped at the ladder and looked down at Ezra. “What do you mean, loud?”

“I dunno, you’re just… loud. I can always find you,” Ezra said with confidence.

A thought occurred to him, and he cautiously dropped his shields a bit. “Loud like that?”

Ezra winced, clapping his hands over his ears, and nodded. “Yeah. Kriff, are you screaming or something?”

“Ezra!” Hera’s voice came from the kitchen area, where she’d apparently been hiding. “What have I told you about saying that word?” Kanan hid a smile at the motherly tone of voice as he climbed down the ladder.

Ezra looked down sheepishly. “Not to.”

“Exactly!” Hera paused to take a deep breath, and Ezra took the opportunity to mutter an apology. “It’s okay, sweetheart, I’m not that mad, I just really want you to watch what you say. Remember what I said about words hurting people? That word can be used to hurt people really badly.”

Ezra nodded, and Hera relaxed. “Why don’t the two of you get back to the game? I need to get supper started.”

Perking up, Ezra asked, “Can I help?”

Kanan made a face at Hera behind Ezra’s back, telling her he wasn’t sure that was an entirely good idea. He sure wouldn’t have trusted eight-year-old him with a stove.

Hera seemed to catch his drift and said, “Tell you what: you and Kanan play a couple more rounds, then you can help me.”

Understanding that that meant he’d only be helping with stirring and adding ingredients, Kanan nodded. “That’ll work. C’mon, I want to see if I can find a better hiding spot.”

Ezra nodded eagerly. “Okay, but try to be quieter this time!”

With a quiet laugh, Kanan waited until Ezra had started counting before muting his Force signature and hurrying out of the room, passing Chopper in the cockpit. This time, he headed down to the engine room, ducking behind some pipes to hide. By now, he’d muted his signature to the point that it had to be practically invisible, but he needed to see. Plus, this would be a good demonstration to Ezra so when he taught him how to shield, Ezra would have an example. Shielding was a basic skill, but one that could save Ezra’s life.

Five minutes later, and Kanan was getting uncomfortable. There was a knob digging into his back, and he was leaning at an angle that was straining his calves. Still, there was no sign of Ezra, which told him that Ezra had indeed found him using the Force.

A few more minutes, and Kanan was sweating from being so close to the engine. If Ezra hadn’t found him by now, he wasn’t going to. The ship wasn’t that big.

Hauling himself out of the nook he’d hidden in, Kanan headed out into the cargo bay, only to bump into Hera, who was holding Ezra’s hand. They’d obviously come looking for him.

“There you are!” Hera said, sounding relieved, and if Ezra hadn’t been in the room, Kanan would have made a comment about her missing him. Instead, he focused on the crying kid who was staring at him in fear.

“You disappeared,” Ezra said quietly, his voice shaking. “I thought you were gone.”

Gone, like Ezra’s parents were gone. Immediately, Kanan felt like an idiot. Dropping to his knees, he looked Ezra square in the eye and dropped his shields, letting his signature show through so Ezra could find him again. “Better?”

Immediately, Ezra sagged in relief, practically falling into Kanan’s arms. “Don’t do that again, please Kanan, I thought I lost you and I can’t lose you.”

And oh, if that wasn’t a punch to the gut. Ezra’s innocent plea brought tears to Kanan’s eyes as he hugged the kid tighter. “Not leaving, kiddo. I promise, I’m not leaving.” As he said it, he was looking up at Hera, who clearly understood what he was saying: if she’d have him, he’d be a permanent member of the crew. At her nod, Kanan felt his stomach swoop with relief.

Pulling back from the hug, Kanan carefully wiped the tears off of Ezra’s cheek and smiled. “C’mon kiddo, let’s go eat. Hera’s cooking is too good to miss.”

Dinner really wasn’t anything special, but the atmosphere was warm and happy. Hera and Kanan shared several laughs over Ezra’s completely exaggerated stories, and the kid beamed as they did, happy that they were happy. After a bit, Kanan brought out one of the stories from his childhood, telling them about the time he’d been sent to the library at the temple as punishment for asking too many questions, only to get so absorbed with reading, he fell asleep in the library, a datapad still clutched in his hand.

Hera just about died laughing at the fact that Kanan had been the nerdy kid in school, while Ezra peppered him with questions about what he’d been reading. Kanan gave Hera a look, one that said, this is exactly what I was like back then, and Hera laughed even harder.

After a minute of loud laughter, Chopper rolled in, squealing something about Hera sounding like she was dying, and Kanan joined in on the laughter.

“No, no, Chop, this is good laughter,” Hera managed after a minute, and Chopper stood down, asking something along the lines of, ‘so, no zapping?’ “No, Chop, no zapping,” she confirmed, and Chopper deflated, grumbling as he wheeled out of the kitchen.

Kanan wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes and stood. “C’mon, kiddo, let’s clean up so Hera can rest. I think she’s earned it.”

Ezra nodded, and turned to Hera, shooing her off. “Go on, Mom, we’ve got this.”

“Yeah, Mom, we’ve got this,” Kanan echoed, giving her a cheek grin, and she swatted his arm as she put her plate down on the counter. His smile turned genuine when he realized just how close she was to him, and that she seemed completely comfortable there. He was glad she didn’t take offense to his sense of humor, or occasional flirtatious remarks. That’d make things really awkward, especially now that he was staying.


	4. The Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm aware Feelstember is over. I got distracted by writing my other work, though, so this one got put on hold. Here's the next chapter; I will be trying to finish this out before November is over, but no promises.  
> Fills prompts for 'blood,' 'hugging,' 'steps,' and 'faint.'

Kanan winced slightly as the _Phantom_ reconnected with the _Ghost_. The motion jostled his head, making his vision go all kinds of wonky, and he grabbed his head with his free hand. His other hand was clasping an ice pack to his forehead, where a lump the size of a small egg was forming. his nose was bleeding, too, and he was trying not to let it drip on his shirt, but he knew that it was a lost cause.

“Did you have to headbutt him?” Hera asked dryly, and Kanan sent her a wry look.

“Oh, absolutely.”

Hera rolled her eyes. “He wasn’t doing anything.”

“He was looking at you like you were a piece of meat!”

“And that happens, Kanan. Most people see females of my species as objects, not people, you know this.”

Kanan sent her an unimpressed look over the bridge of his swollen nose. “Admit it, you’re glad I did it.”

Hera gave him her most unimpressed look ever and stood up, walking past him with lines of anger clear in her posture. She paused at the hatch though, taking a deep breath before turning back to Kanan. “I’m not unhappy, but you can't go around picking fights, not when there’s someone waiting for you at home.”

Pinching his nose to help cut off the flow of blood, Kanan stood and followed her over to the hatch. “I’m sorry for potentially scaring Ezra, but I’m not sorry I did it. That guy was asking for it. And,” he added when Hera huffed, “It’s my job as your friend to look out for you.”

“I can look after myself,” Hera said, but she had a smile on her face now, like the fact that he cared was sweet.

“That’s the point of having a crew,” Kanan pointed out. “So you don’t have to. We take care of you, too.”

Hera sighed, then flashed him a sarcastic smile. “Well, I hope you know that goes both ways.” She palmed the hatch open as he groaned, realizing he was not getting out of her and Ezra’s fussing.

Sure enough, the moment his feet hit the floor, Kanan was hit full-force by the little bundle of energy known as Ezra. He stumbled back a step as Ezra wrapped his arms around him, exclaiming, “You’re back, you’re back, you’re back! Chopper wouldn’t tell me where you were or when you’d be home!”

Kanan let out an _oof_ as Ezra squeezed tighter, and Hera laughed softly. “Let him breathe, dear, he’s having enough trouble as it is.”

Ezra looked up at him, confused, only to immediately scramble back. “Kanan, you’re hurt!”

“It’s not that bad,” Kanan attempted, but Ezra still didn’t look reassured. In fact, he looked even more worried.

“If that’s not bad, what’s bad?” Ezra asked, and Kanan grimaced, looking helplessly over the kid’s head at Hera, who shrugged lightly, like she was saying this was his mess and he got to clean it up.

“It’s just a light nose bleed and a lump, kid,” he said after a minute, easing his way past the kid to sit down on the crash couch. “It’ll be healed in a day or two.” He pulled the ice pack form his head and threw it down on the dejarik table.

As Hera ducked out to grab the medkit, Ezra sat down on the couch next to him, poking the lump on his head and sending him reeling back slightly, wincing in pain. Scowling, Ezra burrowed into Kanan’s side, burying his face in his shoulder. He mumbled something that Kanan couldn’t interpret, and he nudged the kid, trying to coax him out of his hiding spot.

“What was that, kiddo? It’s hard to hear you with your face in my shirt,” Kanan said jokingly, his voice nasally from pinching his nose, and Ezra pulled away.

“I don’t like it when you get hurt,” Ezra confessed. “It makes me feel funny.”

Frowning, Kanan brushed Ezra’s hair out of his face with his spare hand, tried to figure what in the world he meant. Did he feel guilty? Was that it? No, he decided, he meant he felt it, too, which meant…

Reaching out with the Force cautiously, he brushed his awareness against Ezra’s and was surprised when he found the faint traces of a bond, one that, now that he was aware of it, was anchored almost as deeply as his one with his former Master. For a moment, he was tempted to pull away, run and hide form this type of connection because it was too dangerous, but then he remembered Ezra’s reaction to him hiding his Force signature from him and knew that that wasn’t an option.

Hugging Ezra tighter to himself, he whispered, “I’ll try not to get hurt again, if that makes you feel better.”

“Oh, so you’ll promise him that,” Hera said loudly as she walked back into the room, medkit in hand. “But if I tell you the same thing, it’s ‘I’m fine, Hera,’ and ‘admit it, you’re impressed.’”

Ezra giggled, and Kanan immediately protested, “I don’t sound like that!” But he was smiling. It was always good to hear the kid laughing.

“With your nose like that, dear, you most certainly do,” Hera countered as she set the medkit down on the dejarik table. “Okay, Ezra, want to help me fix Kanan’s nose?”

Ezra brightened and scrambled over to help. Hera patiently showed him how to turn on the boneknitter, and then had him help set Kanan’s nose. As much as that last part hurt, it was endearing to watch as Hera showed Ezra each step of setting his nose to rights.

The next step was much less painful, and Kanan sighed in relief as the boneknitter did its job. He flashed Ezra and Hera both a smile, letting them know it was done, and as Hera quickly put the boneknitter away, he massaged the bridge of his nose lightly, trying to ease away the echo of discomfort.

“Alright, Ezra, do you want to help Kanan with that bump on his head?” Hera asked, and Ezra nodded enthusiastically.

She handed him a small tube of bacta cream, and he squeezed out a large dollop of the cream. With a mischievous smile, Ezra slathered the cream all over Kanan’s forehead, and Kanan squawked in protest, immediately digging his fingers into Ezra’s sides in retaliation. Ezra let out a peal of laughter—either at the tickle attack or at how Kanan looked with the greenish cream smeared on his face, he wasn’t sure. But he grinned regardless.

Hera just sighed in fond exasperation. “Alright, sweetheart, let’s focus on actually helping Kanan, not making him look ridiculous.”

Ezra sobered a bit and helpfully rubbed the cream into the bump on his head, making Kanan wince when he pressed a bit too hard. “Woah, woah, careful, kid. That does hurt a bit.”

“Sorry,” Ezra apologized, sitting back and looking over his handiwork. “I think that’s good enough?” He looked at Hera for confirmation, and she nodded.

“Go wash your hands now, and I’ll finish up here.”

Ezra quickly scrambled off the couch and to the refresher, and Kanan watched him go with a fond smile. “He’s such a good kid.”

Hera hummed in agreement as she pulled out her flashlight. “I know. Now,” she shook her head and lit up the flashlight. “I need to check for concussion.”

Kanan sighed, but leaned forward helpfully, letting her cover one eye with her free hand and shine the light in the other. He managed not to recoil, but he did wince as the light stabbed at his eye, blinking furiously as Hera switched eyes.

“Well, you definitely have a concussion, but it’s probably not that bad. Seriously, Kanan what were you thinking?” She asked, setting the light down.

Kanan huffed. “That you aren’t an object for them to stare at for their own pleasure?”

Hera sighed, closing up the medkit. “That’s sweet, Kanan, really, and i appreciate it, but I don’t appreciate having to patch you up after a bar fight. So please, next time…”

“What, let him get away with it? sooner or later it’s going to move up from just looking, and whoever he’s targeting might not be able to defend themselves.”

She huffed. “Or have their knight in shining armor protect them, correct?”

“That, too.” When she made a face, he rested a hand on hers, forcing her to look at him. “Hey, what’s really bugging you?”

Hera sat back, looking up at the ceiling for a second before shifting her gaze down to her hands. “I don’t know. I just… I saw you fighting and I just wanted to protect you. I didn’t want to see you get hurt, especially not because of me.”

“Hey,” he said softly, shifting around so that he was in her line of sight. “I didn’t get hurt because of you. I got hurt because that karking son of a Hutt couldn’t keep his eyes to himself, and that’s all that matters, aside from the fact that he’ll be less likely to do it again, and that we’re okay.”

Hera let out a heavy breath, then smiled at him. “Well, not completely okay. You, mister, will have to be woken up periodically. So we’ll be bunking together tonight.”

He flashed her a playful grin. “You know, when I imagined the first time we slept together, there was no concussion involved.”

Hera groaned and rolled her eyes, swatting him on the shoulder, but before she could come up with a retort, Ezra asked from the hallway, “You’re having a sleepover without me?”

Kanan blushed slightly, the realization that Ezra had heard him making the blood rush to his face. Hera took it with significantly more grace, smiling at the kid with only a hint of a flush in her cheeks.

“If you want, you can grab your pillow and blanket and we can all sleep out here tonight,” she suggested.

“Yippee!” Ezra exclaimed, scampering off to change into his pajamas.

Kanan turned and grinned sheepishly at Hera. “Sorry, I didn’t realize he was listening.”

“It’s okay, love.” She paused, flushed again, and quickly stood, grabbing the medkit. “I’d better get this put away and change. You’ll be okay for a minute or two?” She didn’t wait for an answer before rushing out.

Mouthing “Love?” to himself, he sat back on the couch, letting himself relax ever so slightly. It was good to be home.


	5. The Picnic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts filled: 'ocean,' 'nature,' 'sun,' 'bumblebee,' and 'tomorrow.'

“We should do something for fun,” Ezra said suddenly. Kanan looked up from the caf machine, where he’d been brewing his morning cup, and raised an eyebrow, so Ezra explained, “Like, I get that you have to get credits somehow, but you and Hera are always working. We never get to do anything fun together.”

Kanan snorted softly and took his cup of caf over to the table where Ezra was sitting. He was supposed to be working on his educational sims, but so far he hadn’t seemed to make any headway. Probably because he was more focused on what Kanan was doing than what he was supposed to be doing. Not that Kanan could blame him. The sims they’d managed to get their hands on had had to be double checked for Imperial propaganda, and the ones that had cleared that test had been some of the most boring things Kanan had ever had to slog through.

“Like what, kiddo?” Kanan asked as he sat down.

Ezra shrugged. “I dunno. I wanna get off the ship though. I’ve been cooped up in here for forever.”

Chuckling, Kanan took a sip of his caf, wincing at the bitter taste. “We’ll have to clear it with Hera, but otherwise, I wouldn’t be opposed.”

“Yippee!” Ezra scurried out of the room at breakneck speed, nearly barrelling into Chopper as the droid came in. “Sorry, Chop!” Kanan heard him yell as he vanished farther into the ship, and he shook his head, smiling.

Chopper eyed him suspiciously, blatting out a question in his most skeptical tone. Kanan spread his hands. “He just wants to get off the ship, Chopper, and I think it’d be good for him. He’s asking Hera about it now.” Probably right now, actually, and if the spike of excitement was anything to go by, she’d said yes.

Chopper sighed—or did his best impression of one, anyway—and turned around, whistling something about asking Hera what the plan was. Kanan picked up his mug and followed the droid to the bridge, where Hera was sitting in the pilot’s seat, listening patiently to Ezra as he rambled on about something. Sitting down behind Hera, he listened to Ezra, who was apparently telling Hera about this place he’d visited a couple times with his parents.

“…And it’s right by the ocean, but you can still see the grasslands, and there’s a stream right by it, so lots of animals like going out there to drink, so maybe we’ll see some Loth-cats, and it’s so pretty, can we go there, please, Mom?”

Kanan smirked into his cup of caf as Hera smiled. “Of course, dear, I’ll do my best to find it. You said it was near Capital City?”

Ezra nodded frantically, bouncing on his heels as Hera plugged in hyperspace coordinates. They’d been in orbit above Tund for the last day or two, since they’d finished up their latest job, so now they were headed to what was apparently Ezra’s home planet. Kanan had never asked where he was from—an oversight that had him wishing he’d asked sooner—so this was going ot be a surprise for him when they dropped out of hyperspace.

“Kanan, love, why don’t you go pack a basket for us?” Hera asked as the ship entered the swirling blue vortex that was hyperspace. “Just something light, we’re probably going to be running around a lot.”

Kanan nodded, standing, and, on an impulse, leaned down and planted a quick kiss on Hera’s temple. “Thanks for doing this for him,” he murmured, before turning and tousling Ezra’s hair. “C’mon, squirt, let’s go make some food.”

_______

Kanan was mildly surprised when they dropped out of hyperspace above Lothal. They’d been here relatively frequently, using it as a sort of homebase when not on missions. He’d never asked why, but if it was Ezra’s home planet, that made sense. Hera wouldn’t want to take him too far from his home.

Somehow, Hera had managed to find the spot Ezra had talked about, which was a few hours from Capital City on a speeder bike. That meant they were far enough away not to be noticed by Imperial patrols, but it was still close enough that Ezra would feel like he was home.

They landed in the grasslands proper before making the trek to the beach on foot. It was a good day for it, the planet’s sun shining but the wind cool, especially as they got closer to the shore. Ezra was having the time of his life, running ahead and rolling down the slight hills that led down to the shore, only to spring up, jog back to him and Hera, and get distracted by chasing bumblebees through the fields, laughing all the while.

“Ezra, keep up!” Hera had to call a couple times as they headed down the last small slope to the beach proper, slipping on the sand a couple times.

Chopper had elected to stay on the ship, thankfully, or they’d have to put up with his grumbling about sand ending up in his chassis. Smirking at the thought, Kanan set down the basket he and Ezra had packed, pulling out the worn blanket Hera had told them to bring and laying it out on the sand.

Ezra hurried over, a broad smile on his face, and a bumblebee on his finger. “Mom, Kanan, look!” he threw himself down into a seated position, and stared intently at the bumblebee. The humming of the Force grew louder in Kanan’s mind, right as the bumblebee took off of Ezra’s finger and laded on his nose. Giggling, Ezra crossed his eyes so he could watch it, and Kanan watched in awe as the Force curled between bee and boy. The bee took off, buzzing in circles around Ezra’s head, and Hera raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“I’ve never seen a bumblebee do that before,” she commented as Ezra finally waved the bee off, careful not to swat it out of the air. It made Kanan proud that Ezra had been so careful, but most of that he knew was just because of the boy’s gentle nature, not their influence.

“Are we gonna eat now?” He asked, and Kanan smiled, handing him his sandwich.

“Yes, we’re eating now. And maybe afterwards, we can look for some seashells,” Kanan suggested, and Ezra nodded eagerly as he took a big bite of his food.

They ate in amiable silence for a few minutes, Kanan content to listen to the sounds of the ocean and the cawing of the birds that called the shoreline home. He kept an eye on Hera and Ezra, of course, partly out of vigilance, partly because this was the most content he’d been since before the war, and he owed that all to the two people in front of him.

Hera caught him looking and flushed slightly. “What’re you looking at, Kanan?” She asked, and he smiled.

“The two most important people in my life,” he said honestly, not wanting to lie.

Ezra made a happy noise. “You’re important to us, too,” he declared, scooting over to give Kanan a side-hug. Hera nodded, but didn’t say anything. He looked closer, and realized she was still flushing, which just made her look even more beautiful.

Oh. Oh, he;d probably made her uncomfortable. and the kiss on the side of her head earlier probably hadn’t helped. Force, he was so stupid. He shouldn’t have—

“Kanan?” Ezra asked suddenly, interrupting his self-recriminations. “Are you okay?”

Realizing that Ezra had been able to feel his darker thoughts starting to come on, he quickly smiled and focused on the kid, trying to come up with a plausible explanation that didn’t border too close to the truth. “Fine, kiddo. Just thinking of the people that aren’t here.”

Good enough. Ezra seemed to accept it, although, Hera looked a bit skeptical. Wondering if maybe she was Force sensitive, too, he mouthed, later, to her, and she nodded, a silent promise that she’d hold him to that.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would apologize to her. Tomorrow he’d tell her why Ezra had been able to tell Kanan had been spiraling, why Ezra had been able to connect with a bumblebee. Tomorrow. And he’d figure it out from there.

But today, today was beautiful, today was perfect. It was about family, and being closer to each other than they had been before. He could settle for focusing on today.


	6. The Accident

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last two chapters! Told you I'd have it up before November was over.  
> Prompts filled: 'urgency,' 'broken,' 'overprotective,' and 'tears of joy.'

Tomorrow came early in the form of a sudden pain in Kanan’s leg. He sat bolt upright as a cry rang in his mind, immediately he knew Ezra was hurt. Scrambling out of bed, be raced across the room and out into the hallway, pounding on Hera’s door.

With the force, he quickly checked to see where Ezra was, and was mildly surprised to find that he was quite a few kilometers away from the ship, near the beach. He must have woken up early and decided to go back, Kanan realized.

After a few seconds, Hera opened her door, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. “Kanan, it’s not even six yet, what’s—”

“Ezra’s hurt,” he interrupted, and immediately she was on high alert.

“What? How bad?”

“I don’t know, I think it’s his leg,” Kanan answered as he hurried into the cockpit, Hera right behind him. Quickly, he slid down the ladder and raced over to the speeders, pulling the tarp off of his and throwing it to the side. “I’ll lead, but you might want to grab a medkit.”

Hera was staring at him. “Why didn’t you carry him back?”

Kanan sighed as he swung onto the speeder. “I wasn’t out there with him, I was asleep.”

“So how do you know—you know what? That can wait. How far out is he?”

Kanan started up the engine as Hera climbed onto her speeder. “About three kilometers out, maybe a bit farther. He was headed out to the beach.”

Hera cursed in Ryl and started up her engine, nodding to Kanan for him to lead the way. Immediately, he pulled out, heading back toward the shore at breakneck speed. Behind him, he heard Hera comming Chopper and letting him know what was up—and chewing him out for letting Ezra leave unsupervised. Kanan just focused on piloting, and sending as much comfort over the bond as possible. Ezra was scared and in pain, he knew, and the sooner they could get there the better.

It took them several minutes to get out to where Ezra was—a small outcropping of rock overlooking the sand. From the distance, Kanan could make out the blue-and-orange figure of Ezra in his flight suit—this had definitely been an intentional outing, not an incident of sleepwalking, or else he’d still be in his pajamas—huddled against the rock.

Kanan could tell the exact moment Ezra heard their engines—a spark of fear, then relief flared through their fledgling bond, making Kanan inhale sharply at the rawness of the emotions. Pushing his speeder to go faster, Kanan closed the distance, then cut the power and let the speeder drift to a halt while he hopped off of it.

He was at Ezra’s side in an instant. “Are you okay?”

Ezra stared up at him with big, wide eyes. “My leg—I think I broke it.”

Kanan glanced down at his left leg, and sure enough, his foot was facing the wrong way. Resisting the urge to get queasy—Force, how had the kid not thrown up already just looking at it—Kanan gave Ezra his best smile. “We’ll get that fixed up in no time, okay? Just hang on.”

Ezra nodded quickly, looking pale, and Kanan patted him on the back, glancing over his shoulder at Hera, who was coming around with the medkit. She set it down next to Ezra, then muttered an oath under her breath.

Ezra heard her. “Language,” he said jokingly, and she fixed him with a stern look.

“What were you doing out here, Ezra? You could have been hurt worse—and if Kanan hadn’t known where you were, you might have had to find your way back to the Ghost with your leg like this!”

Wilting under the scolding, Ezra whispered, “I wanted to see the ocean one more time before we left.”

“Then you could have asked us to take you. We’’re not going to turn down something like this.” Hera gentled the admonishment with a careful hand on his shoulder, and Kanan took the opportunity to creep down to Ezra’s feet, gently taking hold of the left one while Hera was distracting him.

“It’s stupid, though, I should have just—” Ezra cut himself off with a shriek as Kanan set his foot.

“Sorry, kiddo, but it hurts less if you aren’t anticipating it,” Kanan said with an apologetic smile. “Hera, got a brace or something in that medkit?”

Hera nodded and pulled out a roll of bandages and some painkillers, which she quickly administered, making Ezra go near boneless with relief. Kanan took the bandages and wrapped Ezra’s foot as securely as he could. As soon as he was done, he nodded to Hera, who stood and packed up the medkit while he stooped at Ezra’s side and lifted him into the air, carrying him bridle-style over to the waiting speeders.

He was about to set him down on Hera’s speeder, figuring that he’d want to stay with his mom, but Ezra made a little sound of protest, and after exchanging a conversation made up of looks and facial expressions, Kanan took Ezra over to his speeder instead.

The trip back was mostly quiet, Ezra content to stay silent except for the occasional whimper when the ride accidentally jostled his foot. Kanan cradled him close to his chest with one arm, steering with the other, and trying desperately to ignore the pain he could feel radiating from Ezra’s side of their bond.

Part of him was tempted just to shut down his connection to the Force, to hide from the pain, but right now Ezra needed him here, he needed the comfort having him nearby could provide, so Kanan would do his utter best to let Ezra know he was safe.

If anything, Kanan wanted to leech some of the pain away, but knew that with the painkillers, Ezra would be fine. Besides, the pain would be a good teacher for him not to run off and do anything stupid. Not to say Kanan wanted Ezra to be in pain, just that the little he was feeling would be a good reminder, because Kanan would rather not have a repeat incident.

They arrived back at the Ghost to find Chopper waiting for them, bleeping at them to wake him up next time, because he wanted to know when the baby was injured. Kanan just sighed and let Hera reassure her droid that they hadn’t left him behind intentionally. Instead he focused on climbing the ladder with Ezra clinging sleepily to his chest. It was tricky, But he managed to hold Ezra with one arm while climbing with the other.

Carefully, he brought Ezra back to his room, setting him on his bed and chuckling softly at how Ezra immediately curled up with his stuffed Loth-cat, grumbling something Kanan didn’t quite catch. Kneeling next to his bed, Kanan pulled the covers over Ezra’s shoulder.

Ezra snuggled a bit further into the the blanket and murmured, “Thanks, Dad.”

Kanan froze for a second—it felt like an eternity, but given that it was the space between one breath and the next, it couldn’t have been that long—then inhaled, swiping the tears of joy from his eyes. He had never expected Ezra to call him that. And maybe it was just the painkillers talking, or maybe it was Ezra only being half-awake, but he would take that moment and cherish it for the rest of his life.

“You’re welcome, kiddo,” he whispered hoarsely before standing slowly and leaving, casting a look over his shoulder to make sure Ezra was indeed asleep.

Chopper was waiting for him in the hallway, whistling loudly that he needed to scan his miniature meatbag to make sure the bone had been set correctly. Kanan shushed him immediately, spreading his hands to help him block the noisy droid from entering Ezra’s room.

“Oh, no you don’t, let him sleep,” Kanan insisted, gently shoving the droid away from the door. “He’s had a long morning, a scan can wait a couple hours.”

Hera looked up from the dejarik table, pursing her lips. “Kanan…”

“He’s sleeping,” Kanan insisted.

Hera sighed. “What’d he say.”

“What?” Kanan asked, not sure what had given it away, then realized he was still crying. Mentally cursing himself, he dashed away the evidence and avoided Hera’s eyes.

“He said something to make you cry, and now you’re being super overprotective of him,” Hera said, and he sighed, eyeing her carefully.

“Are you sure you’re not Force-sensitive?”

“No, I’m just observant.” She folded her hands in her lap, watching him carefully. “Spill.”

He sighed, waving his hands in defeat. “Alright, alright.” Moving around Chopper, he eyed the droid carefully, but surprisingly he didn’t try to go into Ezra’s room. Flopping down on the crash couch next to Hera, he muttered, “He called me dad.”

He startled when Hera wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Happy tears, Hera. Happy tears.” He shifted around so he could see her face. “But while he is sleeping, there is something I need to talk to you about…”


	7. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts filled: 'belief,' 'endings,' 'winter,' and 'hope.'

_ Three years later _

From the ramp of the Ghost, Kanan watched as Ezra ran around in the snow, chucking snowballs at the newest member of their crew, a Lasat named Zeb. Smiling, he leaned against the wall as Zeb roared playfully and chucked a massive pile of snow Ezra’s way. Ezra ducked, laughing all the while as he raced over the winter landscape, trying to get behind Zeb to pelt him with more snowballs.

Behind him, he heard Hera chuckle, and he turned and grinned at her. “Never gets old, does it?”

Hera shook her head. “I don’t think it ever will. Compared to how he was when I met him…”

Nodding, Kanan turned back to the action, wincing slightly as Zeb managed to hit Ezra with one of the two handfuls of snow he’d just chucked. Hera had told him the story of how she’d come across a scared, malnourished boy in an alleyway a mere three months after his parents had been arrested. Seeing that same boy now was like seeing a different person entirely. It was incredible what a stable home and all the love they could provide did for him.

Zeb made to tackle Ezra into a large snowbank, and Ezra vaulted over him, reaching nearly ten feet in the air before landing lightly and chucking a snowball at teh back of Zeb’s head. Kanan laughed, finally drawing Ezra’s attention, and he turned and waved, ducking without looking as Zeb took the opportunity to launch another flurry of snowballs his way.

Ever since Ezra had broken his leg all those years ago, Kanan had been teaching Ezra everything he knew about the Force, about the Jedi—and not just the occasional lesson from the holocron. He’d even taught Ezra how to use a lightsaber, although he and Hera had both made it clear that Ezra wasn’t getting his own until he was thirteen at the youngest. But the training had honed Ezra’s reflexes to the point that he could last in a fight against Zeb for almost five minutes.

Eventually, he’d make a mistake, though, which was what happened as Zeb snuck up on him while he laughed and buried him under a pile of snow the Lasat dropped on his head. From underneath the snow, Ezra squawked, quickly poking his head out of the snow and glaring at Zeb.

“Oh, it’s on,” Kanan heard him say, and he shook his head, smiling.

“One of these days he’s going to realize that Zeb is taking it easy on him more often than not, he commented to Hera.

She sighed contentedly, coming up and winding an arm around his waist. “One of these days he won’t need Zeb to take it easy on him.”

Kanan hummed in agreement, watching as Ezra struggled out of the snow and resumed pelting Zeb with snowballs. He knew Ezra wasn’t there yet, but he also knew that he wasn’t far off.

It was incredible, that once upon a time he’d believed that the Jedi Order would die with him, in an alleyway behind a seedy bar on some disreputable planet. How time had disproved that belief, he thought humorously. He now knew that the Order would carry on. It would live on in this wonderful boy that Kanan had taken in as his Padawan and son.

The thought gave him hope, hope that someday, Ezra would find his own Padawan, his own child who he could teach the ways of the Order; hope that eventually, the Jedi would return, a new generation that wouldn’t repeat the mistakes of the last, a generation as kind and wonderful as Ezra.

Hera’s comm chimed, and she checked it, sighing. “New mission from Fulcrum.”

Kanan nodded. He still wasn’t the biggest fan of the missions from this mysterious ‘Fulcrum,’ but he knew they were doing good with the missions, so how could he say no? Especially with the example he was trying to set for Ezra. This was what Jedi did, after all, even if they were currently still hiding what they were from the rest of the galaxy.

Sighing, he cupped his hands into a megaphone and called, “Hey, you two! Get inside before you freeze your ears off!”

Scoffing, Ezra hurried over, Zeb lumbering behind him. “I’m wearing earmuffs, Dad, I’m not going to freeze my ears off.”

“Yeah, Dad,” Zeb said playfully behind him, “We’re fine.”

Shooting Zeb a stern look that said, don’t ever call me that again, he gave a small half-smile. “Maybe not, but we have a job.”

“Oh, oh!” Ezra bounced on his heels as he asked, “Can I help with this one?”

Kanan shrugged. “You’re going to have to ask Hera, I don’t know the details yet. But maybe.”

Ezra whooped and hurried up the ladder, and Kanan and Zeb exchanged a look of fond exasperation before Zeb shook himself. “I should probably go towel off before I start dripping everywhere,” Zeb grumbled, and Kanan patted him on the shoulder.

“You do that. I’m sure Hera will appreciate it.”

As Zeb disappeared upstairs, Kanan hit the button to close the ramp, and sighed. Maybe he missed the days when it was just him, Hera, Ezra and Chopper against the galaxy, but now, after having Zeb on board for a few months, he wouldn’t trade the Lasat in for the world.There was nothing that could convince him to give up a single member of his little family, even if it wasn’t so little anymore.

So yes, maybe those days were ending, he thought as he climbed up into the cockpit, but that didn’t mean everything was ending. No, he decided as he swung into the seat next to Hera, flashing her a grin as Ezra bounced excitedly between the two of them. Things were just beginning.


End file.
